Railway switch operating apparatus



w. c. M WHIRTER ET AL RAILWAY SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS April 13, 1937.

Original Filed June 13, 1933 3 Shets-Sheet l.

INVENTORS aflwlziz tere win G.Lzttle.

Ila/l? l v v o:

{5'01 QRv/Y THEIR ATTORNEY ll/lilli am April 13, 1937.

w. c. M WHIRTER ETAL RAILWAY SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS Original Filed Jun e 13, 1933 3 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS uin G. Lit tle.

lDLZZiam amwmpzer and E012 THEIR ATTORNEY p i 7- w. c. M WHIRTER ET AL 2,077,150

- RAILWAY SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS v Original Filed June 15 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 l I 71 I l O 74, I a1 '76 71 79 71.

17 7? 72 72 I 78 80 1 85 i I 1 75 477 74 51, a Fig.6

FNVENTORS ZUzZliam C. M LUhiFZQP -and Edwin G. Little.

Patented Apr. .13, 1937 A RAILWAY SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS William C. McWhirter and Edwin G. Little, Wil- 1 kinsburg, Pa., assignors to The Union Switch &

Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application June 13, 1933, Serial No. 675,590. Divided and this application June 1,

1935, Serial No. 24,572

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to railway switch operating apparatus. In certain mechanical interlookings in which railway switches are operated by means of me- 5 chanical levers located in an interlocking tower,

and connected with the switches by means of pipe lines, the traffic during ,certain periods of the day is so light, or of such a nature, that the necessity for having an operator in the tower during these periods can be'eliminated if means are provided whereby, when the towerman is off duty, the switch can be left locked in its normal position for main line traffic over the switch; but if it becomes necessary to reverse the switch to permit a siding move, a trainman can, by means of a manually operable switch throwing device 10- cated at the switch, unlock the switch and reverse it until the siding move is completed, and then restore the switch to its normal position and relock it in this position, in such a way that when the towerman again comes on duty, he can control the switch from the tower in the usual manner. One object of our invention is to provide novel means for accomplishing this desirable resuit.

The present application is a division of our copending application, Serial No. 675,590, filed on June 13, 1933, for Railway switch operating apparatus.

We will describe one form of railway switch operating apparatus embodying our invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing a railway switch provided with one form of switch operating apparatus embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the switch throwing and locking device B forming part of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. l, the main cover of the device being removed to better illustrate the construction of its mechanism. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 2 taken substantially on the line IIL-III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4

is an enlarged top plan view of the lever stand D forming part of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, and embodying our invention. Fig. 5 is a side view of the stand D shown in Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken on the lines VI--VI, and VII-VII, respectively, of Fig. 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Fig. l, the reference character A designates a railway switch comprising, as

.55 usuaLtwofixe fi ls l I and two movable rails 2 and 2 Thefixe-d-rails I and I are laid on tie plates 3 and are secured to crossties 4 in the usual manner. The movable rails 2 and 2 are fastened together by a front rod 5 and. a head rod 6, and may be moved into a normal or a reverseposition by means of a throw rod I which is connected with the head rod 6 through the medium of the usual switch basket 8. When the switch occupies its normal position, in which position, it is shown in the drawings, the movable rail 2 engages the fixed rail I, and the movable rail 2 is spaced a slight distance from the fixed raill When the switch is reversed, however, the movable rail 2 then engages the fixed rail I, and the movable rail 2 is spaced from the,

fixed rail I.

Associated with the switch A is a switch throwing and locking device B. This device may be of any suitable type but, in the form here shown, this device comprises a main casing 9 (see Figs.2 and crossties 4, and an auxiliary casing I9 which is bolted to a tail-like projection 9 of the main casing 9. The upper end of the main casing 9 is closed by a cover II and a guard I2, while the upper end of the auxiliary casing I8 is closed by a hinged cover I3. The cover I I is secured to the main casing 9 by means of bolts I4 while the guard I2 is secured to one of the ties 4 by means of lag screws or bolts I5.

Formed in the main casing 9 is an axially extending rectangular guideway I6 which slidably receives a motion plate II. The motion plate I! is provided on its upper face with rack teeth I8, and on its lower face witha cam slot I9, and is adapted to be reciprocated between two. extreme? positions by means of a hand throw lever 20 fixed to a shaft 2|. The shaft 2| is journaled in suitable bearings 22 secured to the casing 9, and. has fixed thereto a segment gear 23 which meshes with the rack teeth I8. As best seen in Fig. 2, the cam slot I9 is formed with a portion at each end which is parallel to. the direction of movement of the motion plate, and with an intermediate connecting portion which is disposed. at an acute angle to the direction of movement of the motion plate. Extending into the cam slot I9 and cooperating therewith is a roller 25 which is mounted on a pin 26 secured to an arm 21 forming part of a crank 28. The crank 28 is journaled in a vertical bearing 29 formed in the bottom of the casing 9, and has fixed thereto on the under side of the casing, a removable switch operating arm 30.

Extending longitudinally of the casing 9 be- 3) which is bolted to an adjacent pair of the s and s iliary casing I0.

9 in the casing 9, and is adapted to cooperate with a lock rod L which is slidably mounted in 10 a transverse guideway 33 formed in the taillike projection 9 at right angles to the guideway 32. The lock rod L, in the form here shown, is of standard construction, and comprises tw'o longitudinally adjustable bars 34 and 15 35 attached at one end to the front rod 5, of the switch A, the bar 34 being provided with two notches 36* and 369 which register with similar notches 36 and 36 in the bar 35. The notches 3E5 are so disposed that these-notches will align with thelock bar when and only when the switch A occupies its normal position in which it is shown in the drawings, and the notches 36 are so disposed that these. notches will align with the lock bar when and only when the switch occupies its reverse position. The parts are so proportioned that when the lock bar is moved to its locking position, it will enter the notches .36 or 36 according as the switch then occupies its normal position or-its reverse position, but that, when the lock bar is moved to its unlocking position, it will be withdrawn from both sets of notches. It-will be apparent, therefore, that the switch will be locked in one extreme position or the other, or unlocking or its unlocking position.

Cooperating with the hand lever 20 for the purpose of permitting this lever to be locked in eitherextreme position are two lever latch stands These stands may be of any of the well-known types, and need not, therefore, be described in detail here. I

The device B further comprises a circuit controller C which is located wholly within the aux- This circuit controller forms no part of our present invention, and is therefore not shown in detail in the drawings.

The switch operating apparatus further comprises two floating lever stands D and D embodying our invention. These stands are similar and a description of one will therefore suffice for both. Referring particularly to the stand D shown in detailin Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, this stand comprises a base casting 10 and a top casting H secured together adjacent theirends by means of suitable bolts 12, which bolts also serve to secure the device to an adjacent pair of the ties 4 or to any othersuitablev support. The base casting 1G is formed with a hollow central portion 10 and is provided at its opposite sides with guide surfaces 10 The top casting H is likewise formed with a hollow central portion H and is provided at its opposite sides with guide surfaces H disposed in parallel spaced relation with respect to the guide surfaces 19 Slidably supported on the guide surfaces lil and held in place vertically by the guide surfaces 'll are two levers l3 and 14. These levers are pivoted at or near their centers on pins 15 and 16 mounted in spaced straps 11 secured together by studs 18, and are guided laterally by means of rollers 19 and which are journaled on the pins 15. and I6 directly 75 above the levers, and which ride in a guideway locked, according as the lock bar occupies its 8| formed in the top casting 1|. One end of iever 13 is connected, by means of a pin 82, with a pair of links 83, and the links 83, in turn, are connected by means of a pivot pin 84 with a bar 85 which is secured between the top and base castings l0 and H in a manner which will be apparent from an inspection of the drawings.

With the lever stand D constructed in the manner just described, it will be apparent that the motion of the upper end of the lever I3 is restricted so that it may be considered as rotating about .a fixed point. The lengths of the two levers-13 and 14 are equal, and since the pivot pins 15 and 16 are locatedat or near the centers of these levers, it will be obvious that .rotation of the lever 13 about the pivot pin 82 will cause the'pivot pins 15 and 16 to move along the axis of the stand D through approximatelyone-half the distance that the free end of the lever 73 is moved. It follows that if the upper end of lever 'l l' is constrained to rotate about a fixed point while the lever 13 is being rotated, the lower end'of'l'ever'ld will be rotated in thesame direction and through the same 'angular' distance that the lower or free end of lever l3'is rotated. Likewise/it will'beobvious that if lever l3'is held stationary,the pivot pin 16 will be held stationary, and lever 14 will then be constrained to rotate about the pivot pin 16 as a fixed point, so that if the upper end of lever 14 is then rotated through any angular distance, the lower end of this lever will be rotated through the same angular distance.

Referring now again to Fig. 1, the operating arm 30 of the switch throwing and locking device B is operatively connected with the freeend of the floating lever 13 of the lever stand D by means of a pivot pin 81, an 'adjustableconnecting rod 88 andv a pivot pin 89; and the throw rod I of switch A is 'operativelyconnected with one 95, and a pivot pin 96, and the right-hand 'end of lock bar 3| of device B is operatively connected with one end of lever 14 of s'tandDby means of a pivot pin 91, a connecting rod 98 and a pivot pin 99. The remaining end of lever 14 of stand D is operatively connected by means of a pivot pin lilll with a pipe line IOI operated by lever I02 located in the tower T. The two levers 93 and I02 are each movable between a normal. position n and a reverse position 1, and willusually be interlocked in accordance with the customary practice in such manner that: le'-' ver 93 can not be moved from 'either' position to the other position unless lever I02 then occupies its n position.

As shown in the drawings, the hand lever 20 of the switch throwing and lockingdevice B and the, lever 93 in the tower T both occupy their normal position, but the lever I02 occupies its reverse position. Under these conditions, the switch occupies its normal position and the-lock bar 3| occupies its locking position, so that the switch is securely locked in its normal position. Inexplaining the operation of'the apparatus are in the'positions in which they are'shown'iri restores lever a fixed pivot, and the parts are so proportioned that this rotation of lever I4 under these conditions will move lock bar 3| from its locking position to its unlocking position, thereby unlocking the switch. The switch now being unlocked, the operator next rotates lever 93 from its normal position to its reverse position.

Durlngthis rotation of lever 93, lever 13 of lever I stand D is also. held in-a fixed position, so that lever 14 of stand D is constrained. to rotate about the pin 16 of lever stand D as a fixed pivot, and the parts'are so proportioned that the rotation of lever 14 of stand D moves the movable rails of the switch from their normal positions to their reverse positions. After the switch has been moved to its reverse position, the operator I02 to its reverse position 1'. When he does this, the notches 36 in look rod L are then in alignment with the lock bar 3|, and the lock bar enters these notches, thus locking the switch in its reverse position.

To restore the switch to its normal positionand lock it in its normal position after the switch has been reversed in the manner just described, the operator first moves lever I02 from its 1' position to its n position, then moves lever 93 from its 1' position to its n position, and finally restores lever I02 to its 1" position. The operation of the apparatus, under these conditions, will be apparent from the foregoing and from an inspection of the drawings without further description.

We will now assume that the parts are in the positions in which they are shown in the drawings, and that it is desired to reverse the switch by means of the switch throwing and locking device B. To do this, the operator rotates the hand lever from the position shown in Fig. 1 through an angle of approximately 180 in a counter-clockwise direction to its opposite extreme position. This rotation of lever 20 causes the motion plate I to move from its extreme lefthand position, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, to its extreme right-hand position, which movement in turn, acts through the pivot pin 94, connecting rod 95 and pivot pin 96 to rotate the lever 13 of the lever stand D about the pivot pin 82 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. During this rotation of lever 13, pin I00 is held fixed by the pipe line |0|, and as a result, this rotation of lever 73 causes lever 14 to rotate about the pivot pin I00 in the same direction and through the same angular distance that lever 13 is rotated, thereby withdrawing lock bar 3| from engagement, with the notches 36 in the lock rod L and hence unlocking the switch. The movement of the motion plate toward the right also causes roller on crank 28 to move along cam slot I9, and the parts are so proportioned that while the lock bar 3! is being withdrawn from the notches 36 in the lock rod L, the cam slot I9 will continue to engage the roller 25 at that portion of the slot at its right-hand end which is parallel to the direction of movement of the motion plate so that the crank 28 will remain stationary under these conditions. It follows, therefore, that during that portion of the movement of the motion plate which is necessary to unlock the movable rails of the switch, no force is exerted on these rails tending to reverse them. As soon, however as this first part of the movement of the motion plate is completed, the roller 25 is then engaged by the curved portion of the cam slot I9, and the crank 28 is then rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig.1. This counter-clockwise rotation of the crank is transmitted to the lever 13 of stand D through the pivot pin 81, connecting rod 88 and pivot" I pin 89, thereby causing lever 13 to be rotated in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 82. :As a result, pin 9| now being held fixed by the pipe line 92, lever 14 is rotated about the pivotpin 9| in the same direction, and through the same angular distance as lever 13 'is' rotated, which rotation moves the switch to its reverse position.

In order to restore theswitchvto its normal position by the switch operating device B after the switch has been reversed as just described, the lever 20 is restored tothe position shown in the drawings. The subsequent movements of the parts under these conditions are just the reverse of those which take place during movement of the switch to its reverse position by the device B, and it is believed, therefore, that the operation of the apparatus under these conditions will be readily understood from an inspection of the drawings without further description.

It should be pointed out that before operation of the switch can be effected from the tower, it is necessary that the lever 20 of switch operating device B should occupy its normal position in which it is shown in the drawings, and that before operation of the switch can be effected by means of the switch operating device B, it is necessary that the levers 93 and I02 should occupy the positions in which they are shown in the drawings.

It should also be pointed out that when a towerman is on duty in the tower, lever I02 will. normally be left standing in its normal position in which the switch is unlocked in accordance with standard interlocking practice, instead of in its reverse position as shown. When the lever I02 occupies its normal position, a signal lever (not shown) is held, by the usual interlocking mechanism, in its normal position, and under these conditions when it is desired to clear the signal governing traffic over the switch to permit a train to pass over the switch it is necessary to first place the switch lever 93 in the desired position for the route which is to be set up, and then operate the lock lever I02 to its reverse position to lock the switch in the position corresponding to the position of the lever I02, which releases the interlocking and thereby permits the signal lever to be reversed and the signal cleared.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of railway switch operating. apparatus embodying our invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A lever stand comprising a base casting formed with a hollow central portion and provided at its sides with guide surfaces, a top casting secured at its ends to said base casting and formed with a hollow central portion and provided with a guideway and with two guide surfaces which extend parallel to the guide surfaces on said base casting, two straps secured together in parallel spaced relation within said top and said base casting and adapted to move along the longitudinal axis of said two castings through a limited distance, two pivot pins mounted in said two straps, two rollers journaled on said two pivot pins respectively and riding in said guideway, and two floating levers pivoted intermediatetheir ends on said two pivot pins respectively and slidably supported on the guide surface -on said base casting and-held in place vertically by the guide surfaces o'n said top casting and guided laterally by the rollers on the associated pivot pins.

2. A lever stand comprising a ing secured at its ends to said base casting and formed with a hollow central portion and provided with a guideway and with two guide surfaces which extend parallel to the guide surfaces on said base casting formed with a hollow-central portion and provided at its sides withguide surfaces, a top castbase castingtwo straps securedtogether in parallel spaced relation within said top and said base casting and adapted to move along the longitudinal'axis of said two castings through a limited distance, two pivot pins mounted in said two straps, two rollers journaled on said two pivot pins respectively and riding in said guideway, and two floating levers pivoted intermediate their ends on said two pivot .pins respectively and slidably supported on the guide surfaces on said base casting and held in place vertically by the guide surfaces on said top casting and guided laterally by the rollers on the associated pivot pins, aabar clamped between said castings at one of their ends, two links pivotally'attachedat one end to one end of said bar, and means for pivotally connecting one end of the adjacent one of said levers to the free ends of said links. 4

WILLIAM C. MCWHIRTER. EDWIN G. LITTLE; 

